


cat got your tongue?

by krucxa



Series: here, kitty kitty [2]
Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: ...its not scifi AT ALL tbh, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Catboy Juyeon, Co-workers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Polyamory, Unreliable Narrator, Werewolves, no beta we die like men, ot3 isn't estabilished yet, this kinda takes place in the future but its not really scifi, this may not make much sense if u haven't read the 1st fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27164908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krucxa/pseuds/krucxa
Summary: It's Hyunjae's third life with Juyeon now. He's definitely counting this time around.
Relationships: Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon, Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon/Lee Sangyeon
Series: here, kitty kitty [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982843
Comments: 11
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... this happened. whoops. i blame kaś  
> i'm posting this without proofreading it so there might be some typos / stuff like that? i hope y'all will like this anyway!!

It's Hyunjae's third life with Juyeon now. He's definitely counting this time around.

As it turns out, cat spirits aren't that special when it comes to reincarnation. Given the fact that Hyunjae is a werewolf now, and he's still alive, he probably has as long of a lifespan ahead as Juyeon. Or, nine whole lifespans. Respectively.

Yes, they put proper research into it; no, they didn't really get any answers. The only other werewolf that both of them actually know is Eric, who's also, coincidentally, the one who had turned Hyunjae back then, but Eric's knowledge related to their species extends only as far as his personal experience.

(So technically they _do_ count as family now. Sucks to be Sunwoo.)

Perhaps, even when one is as extroverted as they are, they're still destined to be the stereotyped lone wolves. Not out of choice, but simply because werewolves are anything but easy to find. To Hyunjae's growing frustration.

But despite everything, he isn't lonely. He's got Juyeon. That, and even Eric and Sunwoo, as well.

Apparently even after Hyunjae had died twice, the little demon found a way to keep making his life Hell. It's fitting, he supposes, that Sunwoo ended up as a vampire, of all things. He definitely sucks all positivity out of Hyunjae with his presence alone.

But all in all, life is well. He'd married Juyeon twice already and he's looking forward to doing the same exact thing seven more times. Living two entire life spans together feels like ages have passed, perhaps due to the fact that they quite literally _did_ , but that's still so little compared to what's waiting for them; they've got time. And they've got a lot of it, too.

So, to summarise, this is Hyunjae's third life—he's not aware of it just yet, but this is the one that changes his story in a way that cannot be reversed.

But that might actually be a good thing.

As in this life, two becomes three.

ᓚᘏᗢ

One would think that after so much time has passed, spotting otherworldly beings beside humans would be easier. It's still not very common, though; just like Hyunjae remembers it to be.

Through his past two lifespans, he'd only met two more gumiho's, a single water nymph and a couple of different demons. That is, actual demons this time, not... Sunwoo-level demons.

So of course it comes as a bit of a surprise when he finds out that one of his coworkers is just like Juyeon. By that Hyunjae means another cat spirit; though he doesn't seem all that similar to Juyeon after all.

The sprite in question is called Lee Sangyeon.

After only working together for a week and a half, Hyunjae takes notice of the air of authority surrounding him, to such a point that Sangyeon may as well have been their boss. He isn't, actually, but Hyunjae tries to keep his distance anyway. Just in case.

As it turns out, though, Sangyeon is… well, a good guy. He doesn't interrupt anyone while they're talking, his voice seems to always stay at a suitable volume and maybe he doesn't necessarily cling to those he's unfamiliar with, though he does invite Hyunjae into conversation without putting any actual pressure on him. All in all, Hyunjae doesn't have a single reason to dislike him.

Yet for _some_ reason, he does.

Maybe it's because Sangyeon seems like this perfect kind of guy that only exists in novels and Hyunjae is sure he must be hiding some horrible personality traits underneath. Or maybe it's because he can't help but compare Sangyeon to the only other cat spirit he knows, that is, the love of his life, so the other appears less… interesting, perhaps, in comparison.

The thing is, though, if not for the cat ears located on top of Sangyeon's head at all times, Hyunjae would never even peg him for being, well, his own species. Whereas Juyeon usually follows his feline instincts, Sangyeon… doesn't even seem to have any. Or he may just be that good at pretending that he doesn't.

Hyunjae would go as far as to insult him by saying that he's too 'sophisticated' to preserve any catlike habits, except… that may just be the truth, for all that he knows.

There's something about Sangyeon that gives off this unreachable vibe. As if even talking to him should be a privilege.

And it annoys Hyunjae to no end.

So it's no wonder that once again, Hyunjae comes back home a tiny bit irritated. At least his mood lifts, even if just the slightest bit, when he sees Juyeon standing in the kitchen. While usually he'd yell in a vague greeting and ruffle Juyeon's hair, or something obnoxious like that, today he's simply too tired to do so.

Arguably due to the whole Sangyeon situation.

So today, he simply walks over and wraps his arms around Juyeon's chest, easily burying his head into his back. In response, Juyeon's shoulders shake in silent laughter, but he doesn't protest. Good. Hyunjae needs that physical comfort right now.

"Hello," the sprite says, the tone of his voice clearly amused. Hyunjae only sighs into his back in reply, which earns him another chuckle from the other.

"Are you hungry? I'm a bit sleepy, but I can still whip something out real quick," Juyeon adds, though he doesn't make any attempt to squirm out of Hyunjae's hold. As if he could cook like this. Unbelievable.

Quiet, Hyunjae shakes his head, aware that Juyeon feels the movement. He isn't very hungry, no, what's more worrying is just how exhausted he currently feels. Besides, he'd rather keep clinging to Juyeon right now. It's more rewarding than food, what with how warm Juyeon actually is.

"Just tired," he murmurs, quiet enough that the other seems to take the situation more seriously than it is. The sprite spins in Hyunjae's hold, which isn't very easy to do but he's determined, and gazes at Hyunjae in that quietly concerned way.

"What happened?" he asks, like an angel sent from Heaven. His worry is unnecessary, though very appreciated. Hyunjae likes the attention, he has to admit.

"Nothing, really," he replies, and Juyeon doesn't really believe him, assumption based on the way that he's still looking at Hyunjae like he may break at any moment. It's sweet. Hyunjae fell in love with these dark, concerned pair of eyes what feels like ages ago. Perhaps it _was_ ages ago. But that's just the details, "work happened. Sangyeon exists. Eric didn't text me back. But, Sunwoo didn't bother me today so I guess that's a plus."

For a moment, Juyeon doesn't reply. He simply tilts his head, just a bit to the side, like he usually does when he's confused. Then, eventually, he huffs out, "who's Sangyeon?"

...Right. Hyunjae never really felt the need to tell him.

"Just a coworker," he says, instead of the sarcastic comment that wants to leave his mouth. The thing is, Sangyeon really didn't do anything wrong. Logically, Hyunjae shouldn't feel this way about him. And yet whenever he hears those questionably quiet footsteps at work whenever Sangyeon appears near his cubicle, Hyunjae feels his irritation rise every single time.

Which is, honestly, absurd. He doesn't recognize the rest of his coworkers by their footsteps alone. Despite that, Sangyeon could simply cough and Hyunjae's Sangyeon Senses would immediately go off.

Probably because he can't stand Sangyeon's presence. Yes, that must be it.

"Anyway, he's just a bit annoying, that's all," right as the words slip past his lips, Hyunjae starts to feel bad. This is weird. He never has any trouble bad mouthing the people that annoy him, and yet. Probably because most of them deserve it, meanwhile Sangyeon had done virtually nothing that could pit Hyunjae against him.

So Hyunjae clears his throat. And then he explains, "I mean, not to say that he's like, an asshole or anything—he's pretty much the nicest guy out there. And that's the _thing_ ," Hyunjae pauses, meeting Juyeon's eye to make sure the other knows how serious the matter is, "no person could ever be this nice without an ulterior motive. It's suspicious."

Juyeon doesn't seem convinced. He raises an eyebrow, appearing mildly amused as he replies, "okay, Mr. Skeptical, not everyone has such a bitter outlook on life as you do."

Now, if it was anyone else to speak to him this way, Hyunjae might just have thrown a hissy fit. But since it's Juyeon, and he's got a soft spot for this guy apparently, he only furrows his eyebrows, "I'm not skeptical, I'm just being realistic."

No one could make an eye roll look fond. No one, except for Juyeon.

Under different circumstances, Hyunjae would be impressed.

"Babe, I promise you, not everyone is secretly an asshole," the sprite says, slowly, as if he's explaining something to a child. Well, Hyunjae certainly feels like one right now, "some people are just nice and that's all there is to it. I'm sure he's just trying to be friendly."

In the end, Hyunjae grumbles, but doesn't comment otherwise. He wants to believe Juyeon, he really does, but once he makes up his mind about a person it's hard for him to change that opinion.

Just like with Juyeon, it took him almost a whole year to warm up to the overgrown cat; he's sure that if he does ever start seeing Sangyeon in a positive light, it won't happen so soon.

He doesn't voice that thought, though. He doesn't want to argue with Juyeon any further.

ᓚᘏᗢ

Being a werewolf is… certainly, different from being a human, yes. Most of the changes are small though, aside from the whole monthly changing into a canine thing.

For example, the enhanced hearing; it's just a small perk, one that can easily get frustrating whenever Hyunjae finds himself in a crowd of people or a place otherwise unnecessarily noisy. Usually, he used to be the one annoying others by being loud, so now he's gotten a taste of his own medicine. And he definitely doesn't like it.

Another change he has noticed is his newly strengthened sense of smell; nowadays, whenever Juyeon cooks or orders takeout the sprite doesn't even need to notify Hyunjae, as he shows up the moment he picks up the scent of food. That, contrary to aforementioned hearing, may be a good change.

He can even smell out Sunwoo's undead scent in order to avoid the young vampire, so that's also an advantage. The other can't pick on him as often when he can't even tell where Hyunjae runs off to.

Needless to say, after enough time passes, Hyunjae gets used to his new life, new body, even; he gets used to everything related to being a werewolf. But even after two whole lifetimes, he can still clearly recall the night that Eric turned him.

Just to be clear, that night wasn't an accident. They have discussed it previously, both in Juyeon's presence and without the spirit, making sure that Hyunjae actually _wants_ this and it isn't just a spur of the moment decision. Even after Hyunjae had stated a good ten times that yes, he had done research, yes, he prefers this over staying human, no, he won't regret this; Eric still seemed reluctant.

One wouldn't really need to ponder why, given the circumstances.

But unlike Eric, Hyunjae was making a conscious choice. It wouldn't be a stranger turning him, but someone that he knew well, someone he trusted.

And it's a bit funny, how despite being certain of something, one can't ignore their life-or-death instincts. Hyunjae definitely had a hard time doing so, in the middle of the night, staring at the canine facing him, one that was clearly intending to _bite_. The setting wasn't helping much; a wide grass field, away from any prying eyes. If Eric wasn't able to control himself, this could have been Hyunjae's last night.

But Hyunjae trusted Eric with his life, which turned out to be the right choice in the end; he's still alive, even if it's a different life from what he once knew.

Even now, it's still bizarre, something like losing consciousness but not quite, a transformation that lasts a whole night every time a full moon appears; but Hyunjae has Juyeon to keep an eye him, to make sure that Hyunjae doesn't lose control, which he's more than grateful for. It would have probably been more scary if there was no one around to help him regain his senses when he's the most vulnerable.

All in all, he doesn't regret his choice. He knew he wouldn't.

Not when it gave him the chance to stay by Juyeon's side, for as much time as they're granted with.

ᓚᘏᗢ

Now, spending time with your coworkers after said work for team bonding is, certainly, normal. Hyunjae is fully used to it by now. What he seems to forget this time, is that Sangyeon is unfortunately included in the aforementioned team bonding.

So, obviously, Hyunjae spent the evening glaring at the only cat spirit in the room, only pausing whenever Sangyeon would meet his eye just to smile at him; it comes to him so easily. As if he doesn't even need a reason to smile. At Hyunjae, specifically. God, he's so annoying.

He doesn't let himself actually think about that smile, though, as he knows exactly what it reminds him of—or rather, _who_ it reminds him of. Because even just thinking it would be a confirmation that Hyunjae doesn't dislike the sight as much as he would like to say he does.

So he does the next thing that comes to mind, one that Hyunjae… isn't very good at, to be quite honest.

He's used to saying everything like it is. He doesn't like to sugarcoat things, prefers being blunt over beating around the bush; so it's not very surprising that he's the worst at ignoring his feelings.

Especially the kind of feelings that he's ashamed of.

He downs the drink in front of him, only slightly wincing at the burn, and avoids Sangyeon's eye as best as he can. It doesn't go as intended.

What managed to slip Hyunjae's mind was the fact that he usually takes a bus back home from work. He doesn't really know the place that his coworkers dragged him off to, so he has no idea where the closest bus stop is, either. Sure, he could try to look it up, but he doesn't even know what this place is called and he doesn't really think straight right now so simply asking is out of the question.

He could also bid his goodbye, leave, and try his best to look around and maybe, hopefully, find that damned bus stop. The problem with that idea is—it's already dark outside, and Hyunjae doesn't have to step out of the building to realize that it's also cold, too. His jumper definitely isn't warm enough to wander around in this kind of weather.

So his last resort is calling Juyeon in hopes that the other could somehow find Hyunjae in his not very sober state and quite literally drag him back home.

Before he gets to do so, though, he's interrupted by a light pat on his shoulder. Confused, he pauses, phone in hand as he turns to look at… Sangyeon. Sangyeon, smiling up at him, and smiling _sincerely_ at that. Just his luck.

Unlike how Hyunjae feels, Sangyeon actually looks perfectly composed. He wouldn't be surprised if the sprite didn't drink at all that evening, going by his appearance alone.

That's enough to make Hyunjae feel somewhat inferior to him, and, by extension? That's right. Annoyed.

Refusing to give into Sangyeon's plan, whatever it may be, he clasps his mouth shut and _doesn't_ ask the other what he wants. Which may actually be the polite option over insulting him, yeah, but Hyunjae definitely doesn't just look; he glares at Sangyeon. Partly wishing that the other would leave him alone, but also partly hoping that he won't.

It seems like Sangyeon already made up his mind, as it only takes him a second before he asks, "need a lift?"

And the question stuns Hyunjae into silence.

This was the last thing he'd expected from the spirit, but then, maybe it was obvious. Since he's so deceptively kind, he probably should have expected something like this from Sangyeon. Still, this is one of the very few moments in Hyunjae's life where he can't find anything to say, and although the other waits patiently for a reply, he does eventually add, "sorry, didn't want to assume, it's just that you looked a bit lost. And from what I've seen, we live fairly close, so it really wouldn't be a bother, if you're worried about that."

Well, Hyunjae isn't worried about that. He knows well enough that his presence is a pleasure.

Besides, he does need a ride home. Damn Sangyeon and his perceptiveness. At least it's an out from an otherwise tricky situation, so for a moment, Hyunjae thinks better of preserving his reputation, and nods.

"Yeah, actually, that would help," and he doesn't want to thank the other, he doesn't; because thanking Sangyeon would confirm that Hyunjae now owes him a favor, and he really doesn't want to acknowledge that fact—at least Sangyeon doesn't seem to mind.

He stares at Hyunjae with something similar to amusement flicking through his gaze, before he nods towards the exit. Straight to the point, enough so that Hyunjae has to scramble to follow after him, though Sangyeon still opens the door and waits for Hyunjae to go through first.

How excessively polite of him. Hyunjae is even more suspicious of him now.

And just as Hyunjae thought, the weather definitely isn't to his liking. The moment he steps out, he's hit with air cold enough that he can't even hide the way he shivers. Of course, it's only in character that the other notices.

Which may or may not be embarrassing. But Hyunjae isn't quite sober enough to care.

The next thing he knows, Sangyeon offers Hyunjae his blazer; it's actually big enough to easily settle over his shoulders, and Hyunjae can feel the remaining warmth seeping through it. Right. He almost forgot that cat spirits are basically walking furnaces.

Now, Hyunjae wouldn't usually accept such a thing. Honestly speaking, he only doesn't throw a fit because he doesn't find the energy to do so. Just his luck that drinking would make him sleepy this time around.

So he only sends Sangyeon a half-hearted glare, one that the other may have been expecting, going by his indifference. He only smiles back at Hyunjae, a smile so small that it's barely even there. It's polite, yes, but Hyunjae can see the challenge in his eyes.

So Hyunjae thinks better of arguing, and instead asks, "well, aren't _you_ going to be cold now?"

Immediately, one of Sangyeon's ears flicker.

Hyunjae is pretty sure he hasn't seen that happen even once through the entire time they have worked together. It's weird; almost like Sangyeon himself forgot that he's part feline most of the time.

"Don't worry about it," comes the reply, with a dismissive wave of Sangyeon's hand. Contrary to Hyunjae, he doesn't seem to mind the cool air. Lucky bastard.

The thing is, they left for a purpose, and that purpose isn't standing still in the cold. So he makes sure to remind the other, and Sangyeon only seems mildly embarrassed before he says, "come on, I parked nearby," and of course. Hyunjae should have expected this, because he vaguely remembers Sangyeon only joining them a good fifteen minutes after Hyunjae himself stepped inside.

Perhaps that's how he managed to get out of this situation sober—though Hyunjae isn't entirely sure why he even showed up at all, if he was late, and didn't intend to spend the evening like the rest of them. Maybe he did this to keep up his appearances, or maybe he was just too nice to decline the offer.

Whatever. Hyunjae doesn't care about Sangyeon's reasonings. He just wants to get back home as soon as possible, so this couldn't be any more convenient.

He just needs to live through the awkward ride with his coworker, that's all. And then he's going back to Juyeon and he can forget all about Sangyeon.

Now, that's a good plan if Hyunjae ever heard any. Too bad that it doesn't quite work out.

Because the ride back may be awkward, but only in Hyunjae's point of view. Sangyeon, being the nice dude that he is, tries to keep up a conversation between them and doesn't even get discouraged when Hyunjae only contributes with half-assed replies. He probably assumed that Hyunjae is drunker than he really is, but, well. Hyunjae isn't going to correct him. He doesn't feel like talking anyway.

At least the ride doesn't take too long. Soon, Hyunjae starts recognizing the buildings outside the window he's leaning his head on—much to Sangyeon's… amusement? Probably—though he grieves the lack of music filling the air between them.

He doesn't like silent rides, and he doesn't like when he has to hold a conversation with someone he'd rather avoid, so this whole thing feels like torture. But at least, it's comfortably warm inside, and once Hyunjae takes the passenger seat, he finds that he doesn't really want to stand up any time soon.

He could fall asleep like this. Ignore Sangyeon's presence, ignore his stupidly calming voice, and drift off. But he shouldn't, not when Sangyeon doesn't know where, exactly, Hyunjae lives, so he has to stay awake and mutter directions then eventually point out his and Juyeon's house when they finally get there.

Again, Hyunjae doesn't want to thank him. It feels too much like sealing his fate. But when Sangyeon turns to him after stopping the car, clearly waiting for him to say something, Hyunjae finds it only fair to huff out a meek, "thanks."

Surprisingly, just a single word like that gets Sangyeon to smile. It's a sight that awakens multiple conflicting feelings inside Hyunjae, "you're welcome."

Just like that, Hyunjae opens the door and steps out, awkwardly swaying in place when his foot lands on the ground the wrong way and he has to regain his balance. Sangyeon doesn't make fun of him though, doesn't even point it out, simply watches him leave, offering a small wave when Hyunjae chances a glance at him for the last time that evening.

With that, Sangyeon drives off. For whatever reason, Hyunjae stands on the pavement for a couple seconds more before he remembers his whereabouts and actually makes his way inside his house.

He struggles a tiny bit with the keys but eventually, he gets inside. The lights are on, so Juyeon probably isn't in the middle of a nap right now; therefore, Hyunjae takes his time slipping his shoes off and yells, "I'm back!"

Just as he'd expected, that's enough to summon the cat in question.

Juyeon slips out of the living room, leaning over the doorway; comfortable, maybe even a little smug, though Hyunjae can't tell why. What he can tell is that Juyeon looks extremely attractive at that moment. His brain doesn't really let him focus on anything else.

Only a second passes before Juyeon actually greets Hyunjae with a grin as he says, "took you long enough. I was starting to feel lonely."

Hyunjae cracks a smile; he just can't help it, not when it comes to Juyeon. He doesn't even put the slippers on before shuffling closer to the other, opening up his arms to ask for a hug.

And Juyeon nearly does hug him, before his eyes take in Hyunjae as a whole, as if noticing something new, something he wasn't quite expecting. His ears droop slightly, and Hyunjae slowly starts feeling just as perplexed as the other looks.

"Wait. That smell—" Juyeon pauses, his eyebrows furrowing in deep thought, before he seems to realize what it means, "you're petting different cats."

At any different time, these words would have sounded hilarious to him. And for the record, Juyeon doesn't actually seem very offended, just confused. He gazes at Hyunjae like he can't quite believe the situation.

And perhaps the statement itself wasn't worded like a question, but the glance he sends Hyunjae is clearly puzzled. Waiting for a confirmation, or an explanation, maybe. Something of that sort, at least.

That's when it clicks.

Hyunjae almost snorts when he realizes what Juyeon is talking about. The stupid blazer—he forgot to give it back before Sangyeon drove off. That's probably why he didn't feel as cold when he left the car.

What's more important, the fact that Sangyeon is also a cat spirit like Juyeon completely slipped his mind. Probably because he doesn't act like it much. So this may be what the sprite was getting at.

Hold on. Is Juyeon jealous…?

No, that can't be it. They've been together for way too long for Juyeon to feel threatened by another cat, there's no way. They literally got married twice. This relationship is built on two lifetimes of trust.

So it can't be that, at least not a very serious case of it. Not serious enough for Juyeon to immediately get angry, or anything similar—all he does at that very moment is stare at Hyunjae, waiting for a response, not even a sliver of doubt in his expression because the thought of Hyunjae doing something like cheating doesn't even seem to cross his mind.

It… makes Hyunjae feel _something_.

He's so in love with Juyeon, it's unreal.

He laughs, though he's not laughing at Juyeon, no. Maybe it's the remaining alcohol, but he can't stop himself from chuckling at the situation, and if Juyeon is weirded out by his reaction, he doesn't show it.

"This? This is Sangyeon's. We went team-building and I had no clue where we were so he offered to give me a ride," he explains, reaching out for Juyeon's hands, and when the other doesn't react, Hyunjae pulls him closer. He grins right before he continues, "I honestly forgot I was wearing this. Couldn't stop thinking about seeing you again."

With that, he leans in to place a peck by the corner of Juyeon's mouth; nothing more than that, because he's aware of his own not exactly sober state and he's mindful of Juyeon's current mood. But he still wants to show the other that he's the only cat spirit in his life, so a peck it is.

And Juyeon lets out something that sounds nearly like a purr, so Hyunjae is pretty sure he got the message across.

Good.

Juyeon deserves to know how loved he is.

ᓚᘏᗢ

The thing is, once Juyeon is truly aware of Sangyeon's existence, he doesn't let Hyunjae forget about it.

Again, not in a jealous kind of way—Hyunjae is actually pretty sure that Juyeon is just intrigued. He can't blame him, though; meeting another cat spirit must be… something. Especially when they haven't met a single one this entire time.

So perhaps Juyeon is lonely. Not in a way that Hyunjae could do anything about, no. What Juyeon needs is someone just like him. Another sprite. To bond, probably. Hyunjae understands that need all too well; but at least he's got Eric. He can meet up with the pup whenever he wants to. Juyeon, on the other hand, can't do anything like that.

So despite his own dislike towards Sangyeon, Hyunjae tries to act civil for Juyeon's sake. Just in case that would make Sangyeon more likely to agree to meet someone of his own species; totally not because Hyunjae wants to get to know him better, not at all.

Of course, they interact a bit more after what happened last time; all because Hyunjae still had to give back the blazer that he accidentally stole (though Sangyeon doesn't seem to mind much when Hyunjae actually returns it) and because Sangyeon is, apparently, just friendly like that. He greets Hyunjae every morning and sometimes even tries to initiate some small talk.

Hyunjae does _not_ like small talk. But he acts nice because he does it with Juyeon in mind.

So after a few days, when he's sure that they're acquaintanced enough that this wouldn't come off as extremely weird, he tries to get Sangyeon's attention the one way that he's sure will work; he crumbles a page into a ball (one that he knows he can get rid of. He doesn't make it a habit to destroy important documents) and throws it at the trash can, purposefully missing the shot as he does so.

Now, he's positive that Sangyeon following his feline instincts isn't a common sight, but if he's learned one thing from living with Juyeon, it's that cat spirits just can't help themselves when it comes to sudden movements.

So in under one second Hyunjae goes from staring at a paper ball to staring at a grey shadow that lunges after it.

In Sangyeon's defense, he quickly realizes his own actions, pausing where he's flattened to the floor with the paper ball tightly clutched in his hand. He glances around, looking away from Hyunjae before noticing that Hyunjae is gazing right back at him, and that's probably when it clicks.

Sheepish, Sangyeon stands up, throwing the ball into trash before patting off imaginary (or maybe not so imaginary) dust from his clothes; though he's chuckling, so that must be a good sign. Still a tiny bit embarrassed, he walks closer to where Hyunjae is still sitting by his desk, and leans down slightly; either so he doesn't have to look _down_ at Hyunjae or because he's just feeling awkward and tries to hide from any possible witnesses.

Now that is a sight that Hyunjae welcomes. Perhaps he's a demon after all, getting satisfaction from inconveniencing his unfortunate coworker and all that.

"Having fun?" Sangyeon prods. If it were anyone else, Hyunjae would think that it's a taunt, but Sangyeon looks like he's just… genuinely asking. What the fuck.

"Truly," Hyunjae deadpans, earning himself a huff, almost like a chuckle, from the other. But this isn't what he called Sangyeon over for, so he adds in, "actually, I have a question."

The sprite actually looks a bit intrigued, Hyunjae notes. He raises an eyebrow before murmuring, "shoot."

And shoot, Hyunjae does.

"Have you ever met anyone like you?"

He doesn't expect the responding smile to look so… smug, "what, nice and handsome? Yes, plenty, why?"

Face completely blank, Hyunjae continues to stare at him silently for a few more beats. Lord, he almost forgot how much he dislikes the guy, "no. I meant like," pausing, he brings up his hands to imitate cat ears at the top of his head; the other appears confused only for a split second, "you know. Cats."

"Oh," is all the response that he gets for what feels like too long. It's… puzzling. Almost like Hyunjae was right, and Sangyeon did, actually, forget his own feline nature sometimes. Though he doesn't get why anyone would do so, "no, never."

It's Hyunjae's turn to feel surprised; he blinks, dropping both his arms and his poor imitation act, "wait, really? Not even once?"

This time, the reply comes immediately.

"No," Sangyeon says, slow, careful. He looks Hyunjae up and down, like he's searching for something, then adds in, "but you have, right? Up until now, I just assumed you had a pet—didn't want to point it out, but you've got fur stuck on your pants—but that's not it, right?"

Glancing down at his legs to confirm Sangyeon's statement, he wrinkles his nose and tries to get Juyeon's fur off. It doesn't really work. But anyway.

Hyunjae shakes his head, "he's definitely not a pet, no. My husband—uh, well. Not yet, I guess, not in this life—I mean, um. Juyeon. He's a cat spirit, like you," he notices the way Sangyeon's eyes flicker with an emotion that he can't quite place at the mention of the word _husband_ , but it's gone as fast as it appeared and Hyunjae finds no reason to point it out; so he clears his throat and adds, somewhat awkwardly, "I thought that maybe you two would like to meet. Uh, he certainly does. If that doesn't bother you."

Sangyeon tilts his head. _Just like Juyeon_ , a tiny voice in his head supplies, "Bother? Why would that bother me? I'd love to meet someone like me. Although…"

He drifts off, suddenly appearing unsure. This is the first time he's seen Sangyeon sheepish, Hyunjae realizes. It's… weird, definitely, but he decides to be patient this time.

"I'm not sure if I'll meet your partner's expectations. I'm not exactly… in touch, with that part of me," with that, he shrugs, a bit awkwardly. His ears flatten against his hair as he does so, like it's something to really be ashamed of. No matter how Hyunjae tries to understand Sangyeon, he just doesn't get it.

"The ears aren't fake, right?" he says, startling the other as he does so. For a moment, Sangyeon just eyes him oddly, before he nods, "so, I don't see why that would be a problem. You're a cat spirit, weird cat habits present or not."

He really doesn't get why Sangyeon seems to relax at his words. As if Hyunjae was ever good at cheering people up. But at least Sangyeon agrees to meet Juyeon, so that's a good thing, he supposes.

In hindsight, that's probably the moment where it all started.

ᓚᘏᗢ

They decide to meet at a café; all three of them. It feels an awful lot like a date, a tiny voice inside Hyunjae's mind supplies, but he acts like the weird thought never even popped into his head.

So what if Hyunjae had dressed up? He only did so to appear like he actually cares about this situation, that is: the two sprites meeting. He'd put enough effort to make this happen, so he has every right to watch as it goes, really.

Besides, it's not like he's the only one dressed up. Juyeon is wearing a leather jacket that's way too dangerous of a sight on him; that, and a choker that Hyunjae may have gifted him five months ago, simply because he thought it would look nice on the other. Needless to say, Hyunjae was right; to his own misery.

Listen, it's hard to focus on the topic at hand when all he wants to do is drag Juyeon away and plant as many kisses above that choker as he possibly can.

So maybe it's a good thing that Sangyeon shows up on time; it distracts Hyunjae enough to actually act friendly, or as friendly as he can when it comes to a person that he clearly dislikes. He drags his gaze over Sangyeon's silhouette the moment he enters the building, suddenly hit with the realization that he's never seen the other sprite in casual clothes before, and that stuns him enough into this weird flustered silence.

Juyeon offers Sangyeon his palm; as they shake hands, the former appears… well, not as bashful as Hyunjae feels, but there's definitely something there. This undeniable interest. Hyunjae could have sworn he sees stars in Juyeon's eyes at that very moment.

On the other hand, Sangyeon doesn't seem very affected; other than the slight blush on his cheeks, he looks as composed as ever, easily throwing in a, "nice to meet you," while Juyeon replies with a satisfied _likewise_.

And it looks like Hyunjae had stayed quiet for too long, because Juyeon sends him a confused glance, so he rushes to say something, anything, eventually coming up with, "see, Juyeon likes you. I told you that he would."

Which is, well, the truth. He'd noticed the way said sprite leaned closer into Sangyeon's space when the other sat on the opposite side of the table, how Juyeon's ears pointed in Sangyeon's direction almost exclusively, only flicking towards Hyunjae twice since the other spirit joined them. For the record, Juyeon doesn't seem very embarrassed at his words, though he does move back a bit, suddenly shy; it's only been a couple of minutes and yet Sangyeon already piqued Juyeon's interest. That's… an accomplishment, definitely.

He doesn't expect Juyeon to flick his shoulder, though, "don't say that, you'll scare him off."

"What?" clutching where it stings, he turns to stare at Juyeon, baffled, "no I won't, I'm just trying to reassure him."

The words earn him only a raised eyebrow and a smile that could almost pass off as a smirk, "are you sure? I don't know if that's very reassuring. It's almost like you want to weird him out."

"I don't!"

But despite everything, when Hyunjae glances back at Sangyeon, whose presence he may or may not have forgotten about for a moment, the sprite looks… amused by their bickering. So perhaps Juyeon is actually a fox spirit rather than a cat; he'd planned this. He saw the chance to make Sangyeon more comfortable and he took it.

Though Hyunjae doesn't know what about seeing a couple bicker could be relaxing. Maybe it's just the domesticity, as if doing so in front of Sangyeon would show him that they feel comfortable around him as well. Maybe that's how it works.

Hyunjae wouldn't know, but going by the way Sangyeon watches them silently, he chooses to believe that.

Suddenly embarrassed—once again. What's with him and getting embarrassed around Sangyeon?—he clears his throat, then pushes a drink closer to their guest, "we already ordered," he explains, pointing towards their respective cups, "I wasn't sure what to get you so… I hope you don't mind this."

To say that Sangyeon looks pleasantly surprised would be… actually, accurate, to Hyunjae's own amazement. He pulls the cup closer, trying out a sip when he seems to deem it warm enough to drink, and Hyunjae and Juyeon wait until he nods, satisfied.

Hyunjae does _not_ sigh in relief. Though Juyeon sends him a mildly judging glance, so maybe he's being obvious after all. Obvious, about what? Frankly, he isn't even sure.

"So, Hyunjae here told me that you haven't met anyone like us before, right?" Juyeon speaks up, gesturing vaguely towards him. Almost like he's throwing some blame on him. Hyunjae squints.

Even Sangyeon seems puzzled about what Juyeon may be getting at. Wordlessly, he nods, and Juyeon continues, "oh. I haven't either, if that makes you feel better. It's actually… nice, to meet another spirit," with that, he offers Sangyeon a smile.

Hyunjae recognizes that smile. It's the same smug expression that he sends Hyunjae whenever they're bickering, or when Juyeon is trying to fluster him.

That's when he realizes that the stupid cat is actually _flirting_. With Hyunjae's coworker.

What a fox.

Hyunjae clicks his tongue at him but doesn't point it out. Sangyeon seems oblivious to the flirting, but only for now. Sure, the two of them had discussed polyamory before, but this may be confusing for an outsider, so for Sangyeon's sake, he hopes that Juyeon will control himself. At least today.

Sangyeon's ears flatten against his head again, though this time Hyunjae really has no idea as to why. He glances at Juyeon, then at Hyunjae, and he sounds a bit sheepish to question, "I think so too, but… if it's alright of me to ask, what's Hyunjae? He's not human, I assume?"

He looks so puzzled that it's actually a bit adorable.

Juyeon's smile widens, and he moves to lean against Hyunjae's side, gesturing vaguely towards his face, "why, a big, bad wolf," and with that, he turns to look Hyunjae in the eye, "howl for me, babe."

Well. Hyunjae may be a bit oblivious at times, but he can tell when he's being made fun of. So he scoffs, and he snaps at Juyeon's fingers. Fortunately, Juyeon manages to move his hand away in time to avoid getting bitten, but he pouts at Hyunjae nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Sangyeon continues to watch them, "a cat and a dog, huh? Aren't you two supposed to not get along?"

Good question. Hyunjae snorts, remembering both their first meeting, and the whole year it took them to actually act civil around each other, "yeah, we got past that stage long ago."

Juyeon can't even hide his cackle, "it took eleven whole months, yes, but that happened ages ago so it doesn't really count," then, as if struck with realization, he turns towards Sangyeon and prods, "wait, is this your first life, or?"

Hyunjae imagines that it's not a very tactful thing to ask, almost like asking a lady their age, but to Juyeon's luck, the other sprite doesn't seem offended at the question. Quite the opposite, he smiles like he'd been expecting to hear it, before he shakes his head, "no, this is my third one."

Which is suspiciously convenient, and Hyunjae can't stop himself from blurting, "no way, we're on our third one too."

That's what gets Sangyeon to look truly intrigued. He pauses, gaze piercing right through Hyunjae as he cocks an eyebrow, "really? What a coincidence."

And Hyunjae can only chuckle nervously before mumbling back a _yeah, curious_. If Juyeon notices his strange behavior, he doesn't comment on it, at least not while Sangyeon is still around; but Hyunjae is sure that the other won't let him live this down when they get back home.

Speaking of getting back home. Hyunjae chances a glance at his phone, just to check the hour, and his eyes fly open when he notices how much time has already passed. He raises his hand, waving the phone lightly to catch both Juyeon and Sangyeon's attention, and the duo gasp. So he wasn't the only one who had lost track of time. Interesting.

The air between them is filled with the sound of a chair scraping against the ground as Sangyeon shoots up, clearly panicked as he checks his own phone. Unlike them, he must have had something planned later that day, as he turns his hand through his hair—for once thrown off enough to lose this composed vibe he usually gives off—and he actually looks apologetic as he says, "I'm sorry, I really have to go."

Then, he reaches out for Juyeon's hand again, shaking it lightly for the second time that day, "I hope we'll meet again."

Juyeon's eyebrows fly up, "oh," and he scrambles to stand up as well, pulling out his phone after Sangyeon lets him go, "then, would you mind?"

It takes Sangyeon approximately three seconds to realize what Juyeon is implying, but when he does, he can't hold back a chuckle. They exchange numbers in a rush, and soon after Sangyeon runs out with a curt wave, leaving Hyunjae to wonder what, exactly, happened during the last minute.

So. Juyeon not only flirted with Hyunjae's coworker, he also managed to get his number on the very same day. Sly little shit. Even Hyunjae himself doesn't have his number yet.

After that whole ordeal, they don't see any reason to stay inside for longer. They leave the café hand in hand, and Juyeon's tail swishes from side to side as he thinks. It's a cute sight; Hyunjae doesn't want to interrupt him, so he only watches the other from the corner of his eye as they walk.

Unlike Sangyeon, they have the whole day free. It's weekend, after all, so they don't even need to say anything before they're both making their way back home.

Despite the early hour, it's already cold. Fortunately, this time they're both dressed for the weather; that, and with Juyeon's hand in his, he doesn't fear the cool air at all. He looks around at the buildings, then drops his gaze at the sidewalk. He steps on an orange leaf with a satisfying crunch, and only that sound seems to shake Juyeon out of his wonder.

The spirit blinks, like he's only just waking up, then he squeezes Hyunjae's hand to catch his attention.

"I like him. Can we claim him?"

The request comes so out of nowhere that Hyunjae almost laughs, but then he does a double take and notices how serious Juyeon looks, how sure of his words he is. Like he's already made up his mind. Hyunjae can't quite believe this.

Though he has to admit, it makes him feel a bit amused, "hold your horses, you've only talked to him once."

Juyeon frowns; Hyunjae has no idea how he manages to look adorable even while he does so, "I know. But I want him. Can we keep him?"

This time, he can't stop the laugh that spills past his lips. But can anyone blame him? Juyeon sounds like he's talking about a pet, an actual kitten; Sangyeon is, well, far from that. Hyunjae would even go as far as to say that Sangyeon acts more like a human than _actual_ humans do. And he'd know, he used to be human before.

But Juyeon's immediate liking towards Sangyeon is endearing. Even the fact that Hyunjae himself would prefer to keep Sangyeon at a distance doesn't stop him from feeling fond. Gently flicking one of Juyeon's ears, he says, "I think that Sangyeon should have a say in this."

And for the record, Juyeon only seems a tiny bit embarrassed at the reminder that they can't literally take Sangyeon home like one would a stray cat, but that's all. He wrinkles his nose, then looks away, "well, if he's up to it, I wouldn't mind meeting him again."

Hyunjae raises an eyebrow, but he lets the topic drop. Never in a billion years would he guess that they'd ever find someone that Juyeon would warm up to this fast and this strongly; honestly, if it were anyone else, Hyunjae wouldn't even bat an eyelash, he'd invite the person into their shared space himself. But since it's Sangyeon, he's conflicted.

One, because so far he couldn't help but dislike the sprite for seemingly no reason at all, and two… because he realizes how baseless that hostility is, and how easily he could end up changing his mind about Sangyeon. The thing is, he isn't sure that he wants to.

Lord, this is going to be tricky.

ᓚᘏᗢ

"So let me get this straight," Sunwoo says, as if his input was welcome in this conversation. Hyunjae glares at him, but doesn't stop him from continuing, "Your coworker is both extremely nice, hot and the first other cat spirit you've met in ages. Your husband of two lifetimes had taken immediate liking to him. I don't get how, but he doesn't seem to mind either Juyeon's nor your own presence. And _yet_ you still have doubts over this?"

Groaning in a vague confirmation, he leans back into the couch, pulling Eric with him. He'd invited himself over while the couple were in the middle of watching a movie, so if Hyunjae wasn't so biased, he could kind of see why Sunwoo wasn't in the best mood right now. But alas, being in Hyunjae's presence should be seen as a privilege, so he really doesn't get why Sunwoo is glaring at him so intently.

"You have the answer right in front of your nose and you still act like this is something to have a crisis about, really?" the boy adds in, like he's just a moment away from pulling at his hair in frustration. Honestly speaking, the sight of Sunwoo like this is a bit satisfying; if the circumstances were any different, Hyunjae may have filmed this to keep for blackmail purposes.

Pausing his rant, Sunwoo heaves a sigh before turning to face them again; Eric squirms in Hyunjae's lap, but he genuinely can't tell whether that's because the pup is worried, scared, or whether he actually enjoys the sight of a pissed off Sunwoo in a different way than Hyunjae does.

"Just how stupid are you?"

Hyunjae bristles. Sunwoo may have a valid reason to get angry at him, but that doesn't change the fact that he hates Sunwoo's face. That, and the other is once again giving Hyunjae unsolicited advice—well, if one could even call this advice—when all Hyunjae had wanted was to complain about his troubles to someone who would listen without getting really involved. That is, Eric. He didn't take Sunwoo in consideration.

Maybe that was a mistake on his part. After all, it's a rare sight to see one of them without the other. As much as Hyunjae hates it, they're a Buy One Get One Free package, and if Eric is willing to listen to his rants about his own love life, Sunwoo is a bit more critical.

"I'm not stupid, I'm cautious," with that, he glares at Sunwoo again, "not that you'd even know what that word means, Mr. Daredevil."

Now, that's what gets Sunwoo to scoff. He's clenching and relaxing his fist, like he's only barely holding himself back from attacking Hyunjae, "listen, that was one time. It wasn't my fault that the dude turned out to be a bloodthirsty vampire."

"Not your fault, and yet you're stuck like this now," Hyunjae taunts, and whatever reply Sunwoo was about to say dies on his tongue when Eric shushes them both.

The boy turns around in his hold, looking at Hyunjae like a kicked puppy as he says, "listen, I don't want to pick any sides, but I think Sunwoo is right," the said vampire cheers, and both of them wince at the volume. Damned enhanced hearing, "that doesn't really sound like a problem to me? All parts seem interested in the same thing, I don't get why you're so skeptical about this."

And this exactly what Hyunjae feared; a logical answer. He didn't want this when he came over, all he wanted was a bit of empathy. But then, since Sunwoo is here, he shouldn't have expected it in the first place.

So he lets out a long-suffering sigh, considering Eric's words. He really preferred avoiding thinking about this, but now that Eric is still giving him that same look, he has no other choice but to listen.

"...Okay," he eventually huffs out, much to Eric's relief—even Sunwoo seems to deflate slightly in the background, "I guess you have a point. I just… I just need some time. To really think it through."

And maybe Sunwoo grumbles back something along the lines of _must be difficult for you_ but this time Eric doesn't stop him from kicking Sunwoo in the shin so the little devil gets what he deserves.

Seems like Hyunjae wins again.

Hyunjae: 3, Sunwoo: 0.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any kudos/comments would be great motivation to finish this fic, just saying!!  
> also, here's my [twt](https://twitter.com/ddonibell)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at first this was supposed to be a oneshot. then, it was supposed to have only 2 chapters.  
> now, i have no clue how long this is actually going to be  
> anyway: i hope u'll enjoy this chapter as much as the first one!!

"There's no way I'm putting this on."

With that, Hyunjae stares in disbelief at the choker Juyeon pointed out merely a couple of seconds ago.

Now, the problem isn't that he doesn't like it—quite the opposite, he admits that it's very appealing. It's got this cute little moon pendant, and the black, lace ribbon certainly looks comfortable to wear. If the circumstances were any different, he would have considered buying it specifically for Juyeon.

He could say that the reason behind his reasoning is the simple fact that Juyeon looks beautiful in jewelry; but the truth is, he just likes showering the spirit in as many gifts as possible, because he knows that Juyeon likes pretty things. It's a bit funny, actually, because no jewelry could ever compare to the man himself—at least, not in Hyunjae's point of view.

The problem here is, Juyeon pointed it out with Hyunjae in mind. He pouts at Hyunjae, insistent as he continues to gesture at it, almost like a stubborn child.

But Hyunjae doesn't really wear jewelry. It's a thing. He never even got his ears pierced, the only earrings he ever put on were fake, just to see how it would look on him.

He'd always thought that necklaces and bracelets fit Juyeon better, which he was obviously vocal about, but himself? He's not so sure.

"Why not?" Juyeon replies, umoving. Like he's already made up his mind about buying the damned choker for Hyunjae, for reasons unknown to him. With his feet planted firmly on the ground, he doesn't even budge when Hyunjae tries to pull him away from the display.

That makes him pause, though. He doesn't understand why Juyeon is so persistent about a thing as seemingly unimportant as… well, a simple choker. Even when it's this pretty.

"Just because," he eventually settles on, but Juyeon's expression sours so he quickly adds in, "I mean, you know that I don't really wear this kind of stuff. I don't need it, besides, I'm not sure if it's suitable for me to show up at work in this."

For a moment, Juyeon only considers him quietly. When Hyunjae tugs experimentally at his sleeve, he still doesn't move, though, "why would you _need_ jewelry? You can just wear it because you like it," and the thing is, Juyeon… may be right, "which I know you do, because you noticed it first. I saw how you looked at it just moments ago."

Well. He doesn't have a response to that.

Mainly because Juyeon has a point; Hyunjae did stop in place just to stare at the display, especially at the choker in question. It almost felt like it called out to him, the pendant catching the light in just the right way so that Hyunjae would just _have_ to steal a glance. And he was caught doing so, at that.

Though he's still not really convinced. He purses his lips, glaring at the topic of their conversation, and this time it's Juyeon that links their hands to get his attention, "come on, you always buy me gifts, it's only fair that I got you this choker today."

Once again, undeniable logic.

His resolve is crumbling like a house of cards.

"Also," Juyeon adds in after only a second, "the pendant is a moon. And you're a werewolf. Fitting, right?"

When Juyeon catches his eye this time, the damn cat already knows that he's won. He meets Hyunjae's gaze with a smug smile, one that he both loves but also wishes to wipe right off, so he scoffs and looks away.

Juyeon seems to take that as a good sign, though. After so much time, Hyunjae supposes he must be an open book to the sprite. Which is a plus in some situations, but inconvenient at times like this one.

So Juyeon ends up buying the choker, and Hyunjae doesn't try to stop him, having already accepted his fate. They stay a few more minutes inside, admiring some couple bracelets and other things that catch their attention for long enough. Hyunjae even finds a delicate, cat inspired necklace, one that strangely reminds him of Sangyeon.

Man, even while he's away from work he's still not free from thinking about Sangyeon. He literally has to will himself into looking away from it.

Later, as they step out of the shop, Juyeon signals for him to wait and stands behind him.

It's not hard for Hyunjae to guess what the spirit is doing, especially when he feels the press of the choker on his skin, slipping around his neck easily as Juyeon puts it on. It takes him a couple more seconds to lock it in place, but when Juyeon steps to the side, admiring his work, he's got this satisfied look on his face.

Hyunjae's heart can't take this. Maybe he's actually glad that he agreed to this.

ᓚᘏᗢ

Despite all his dramatics, Hyunjae does like the choker. He actually adores it even more now, simply because it's a gift from Juyeon. No one needs to know if he spends a couple more minutes staring at his own reflection the next morning, fidgeting with the pendant as he thinks.

Perhaps Juyeon was onto something; it is strangely fitting, giving a werewolf a choker with a moon hanging from it. Not only is it more delicate than most of the jewelry he had bought Juyeon before, so it has a character of its own; but it just… suits his tastes.

It's almost like a bad metaphor; an easily breakable necklace on someone who puts up a strong front and keeps people at a distance to keep their heart safe. Hyunjae can't help but find it ironic.

So despite the fact that it's not something he would usually wear to work—or at all, really—he's a man that gets weirdly sentimental at times and he doesn't have the heart to take it off. The choker is also light enough for him to easily forget that he's wearing it at all, so that helps him feel normal, too.

If any of his coworkers notice the difference, not one of them comments on it; key word, if. It's not like something as simple as that makes such a huge change, so the lack of reaction soothes all the remaining anxiety he didn't even realize he felt.

It isn't until he sees Sangyeon for the first time that day that he's reminded of the ribbon wrapped around his neck.

It's hilarious, really; one second, he hears the telltale sound of Sangyeon's quiet footsteps, turning in his seat to shout a greeting over his shoulder. Next, there's coffee spilling all over the floor.

Which, honestly, isn't very convenient. Some of the drink manages to get on Hyunjae's shoes, a couple droplets even landing on his pants. He blinks down at the floor, at the liquid that doesn't come to a halt quite just yet, and then he drags his gaze at Sangyeon.

At… Sangyeon, frozen in place, with his eyes glued to Hyunjae's neck and seemingly oblivious to the fact that he'd just dropped his drink.

For a moment, Hyunjae is so shocked that his brain doesn't even process the situation. It only sinks in when he notices Sangyeon's cheeks visibly flushing more with each passing second, the spirit grasping at air before he looks down and sees the paper cup lying on the ground. If Hyunjae's brain is malfunctioning, then he doesn't know how to describe whatever Sangyeon seems to be going through.

So maybe the way that Sangyeon's eyes widen is a bit endearing; objectively speaking, of course. The poor dude's slacks are completely soaked below the level of his knees, and if he doesn't have a change of clothes (and Hyunjae highly doubts it, because who brings one to this kind of work?) he's going to smell of coffee for the rest of the day. Not that this is such a tragedy; coffee has a nice scent, some would argue that it smells better than it tastes, but then, still, it's probably a bit uncomfortable to spill it over one's slacks like that.

And to top it all off, Sangyeon looks like he has no idea what to do.

Now, if Hyunjae was as bad as Sunwoo would like to paint him as, he would have simply taken a picture. For future blackmail purposes. Or something.

But he's not _that_ much of an asshole, so he feels his pockets for a packet of tissues and silently offers them to Sangyeon.

He doesn't say anything at first to spare the other the embarrassment, but then a thought pops into his mind, "wait a second, didn't you get burned?"

Still seemingly out of it, it takes Sangyeon a beat before he shakes his head, muttering a, "n-no, the coffee wasn't hot to begin with," and when Hyunjae only stares at him blankly, he adds, "you know, ice. A great invention."

And Hyunjae just stares at him. It probably makes him look stupid, but in his defense, his coworkers spilling a whole cup of coffee out of the blue (or maybe at the sight of him?) isn't a very common occurrence, so of course his mind goes blank.

So a few seconds pass before he replies with an awkward _yeah, amazing_ , immediately regretting his words because, hey, what kind of response is that? But Sangyeon still looks a bit stunned so maybe he didn't even register Hyunjae's reply.

As the spirit continues to stare at his soaked clothes, Sangyeon's ears droop. Paired with that confused look of his, it would be a comical sight, if the circumstances were any different.

Well.

This is going to be a long day.

ᓚᘏᗢ

Turns out that it wasn't so bad after all. Sure, Sunwoo had spammed him with unrelated texts while he worked in order to distract him, probably, at least that's what Hyunjae guessed, and maybe he had to send him a couple messages back to satisfy his demonic urges or whatever, but despite that, the rest of the day went by fairly smoothly.

Hyunjae can still smell coffee by the time he clocks out, but, actually, it doesn't bother him that much; it only serves to remind him of Sangyeon's hilariously dumbfounded expression so his mood is actually pretty good despite everything that happened earlier.

He even manages to get to the bus stop perfectly in time and contrary to how it usually goes, he finds an empty seat at the back of the bus so he's free to put his earphones in and completely forget about his own existence for the entire ride. Nice.

What's even nicer, he comes back home to find Juyeon dozing off on the living room couch—which is, obviously, a cute sight regardless, but there's something different about it today. Hyunjae can't quite pinpoint it.

So at first, he only pets Juyeon's hair before he leaves for the kitchen. He makes himself a nice drink, shrugs off his sweater because contrary to the weather outside, it gets a bit too warm inside their house, and he turns off the light above the stove. Juyeon probably forgot about it, but that's okay, stuff like that happens. Hyunjae can't find it in himself to really mind.

Not when he's feeling this well for a change.

Waltzing back into the living room, he checks if the other had woken up from his nap; unsurprisingly, Juyeon is still very much unconscious. With his face resting on top of his arms, it makes him look like he's pouting, and Hyunjae can't stop the surge of pure affection the sight makes him feel. So he places his mug on the table, crouching by the couch before he reaches his hand out, this time properly running his hand through Juyeon's locks.

The spirit appears so calm like this; posture completely relaxed, ears drooping slightly in his sleep. The end of his tail curs slightly, almost like a question mark. Usually, as Hyunjae had noticed, that's a habit of his when his interest had been piqued, or when he's happy and not afraid to show it. This time, he supposes, it's probably pointed like this for comfort.

Whether or not his guess is correct, he has to admit; it's cute. He kind of wants to take a picture of Juyeon to treasure this sight forever.

But he doesn't. One, because he respects the sprite's privacy, and two, because it's that exact moment that Juyeon's brain chooses to wake him up.

His eyes scrunch before slowly opening, clearly still a bit drowsy, and Hyunjae smiles at him, utterly whipped. The spirit blinks once, twice, before he finally seems to notice his surroundings and he mirrors Hyunjae's expression.

If Hyunjae's mind fills with entirely smitten thoughts at that very moment, well, no one needs to know.

"Hello," he says, voice barely above a whisper, simply because it feels like the right volume for the situation. Juyeon seems to appreciate it.

"I was waiting for you."

It's probably meant to be a whine. Rather than complaining or accusatory, though, it just sounds pouty. Like he'd been deprived of affection. Now, Hyunjae may be biased, but that's the cutest thing he'd heard today.

"No you weren't," he bickers, his smile widening as he does so, "you were too busy napping."

In reply, Juyeon just huffs. He guesses the goal was to be defensive, though the sound just resembles a chuckle more than anything, "yeah, because you took so long to come back. I'm wounded."

Now, that's clearly a lie. Hyunjae got back at the exact same time as he usually does, if not even a couple minutes early. It's familiar banter, though, one that Hyunjae easily falls into, "you're just saying that because you missed me."

Unlike what he was expecting, though, Juyeon only nods, reaching up for Hyunjae's hand and holding it so delicately, as if he's something so precious; to him specifically, or maybe just in general, "yeah, can't argue with that."

Hyunjae almost starts bawling right then and there.

He isn't sure what's making him so emotional today. It usually takes him a lot more to get like this. But he has to admit, he's completely whipped, and Juyeon being so open about his own fondness for Hyunjae isn't helping him compose himself.

So he sniffs, loudly, earning himself a laugh from the other. Juyeon may be laughing at him, yeah, but he sounds so delighted while he does so that Hyunjae can't even bring himself to feel offended.

At least he doesn't end up actually crying. Now, that would be a bit embarrassing. Yeah, he knows that Juyeon wouldn't really make fun of him for it, apart from some mild teasing, but still, he'd rather keep his composure.

That's why he takes a deep breath in. And he exhales. He must make for a hilarious sight because the spirit giggles again, actually, fucking, giggles. That sound should be illegal.

Eventually, Juyeon seems to take pity on him. He pulls himself up, enough to comfortably sit on the couch and make some room for Hyunjae to join. Then, with a grin that looks too smug not to be suspicious, he pulls out his phone and waves it vaguely in Hyunaje's direction, "guess who texted me today."

And Hyunjae really can't figure out why he sounds so pleased, whose existence could make him this satisfied. He tries to think back to what he had done today, immediately ruling Eric out (because the two already talk regularly) before he remembers Sunwoo's annoying ass. It seems plausible.

"Was it Sunwoo?" did he message Juyeon the angry selfie he had sent Sunwoo to stop the little devil from spamming him that afternoon? He knows for a fact that the gesture he did in the picture wasn't exactly _nice_ , and he's also sure that Sunwoo would probably use it later to blackmail him into doing him some weird favor, but, well, he was a bit irritated at the moment and he didn't really think it through. So the option is there.

But Juyeon only shakes his head, "no. That's way off. Go on, guess."

Squinting, Hyunjae comes to a realization that he can't, actually, come up with anyone else, "I have no idea. Give me a clue."

Immediately, Juyeon offers him a smile. It's wide and smug enough to border on a smirk—the fact alone is, well, a bit alarming, "you know, nice and handsome, buff, a tad shorter than us both. That one dude you observe like a hawk but would never admit it."

Hyunjae's mind goes blank for three long seconds. Then, his eyebrows furrow as the realization settles in, "what? Sangyeon texted you?"

Juyeon wiggles his eyebrows. He looks entirely too satisfied with this outcome, "He did! And he did it _first_."

Okay, logically, Hyunjae has no reason to feel jealous. He brought this onto himself, especially since he never asked for Sangyeon's number in the first place—not that he even wanted it. No. He doesn't need Sangyeon's number, why would he? To chat with him? To wake up every day and check his messages for a possible good morning text? To get his hopes up for a man whom he acts like he doesn't care about while he clearly yearns for his attention?

No thank you.

And yet, some part of Hyunjae feels a bit weird at that moment. He's happy for Juyeon that his flirting had apparently worked, but he's also feeling a bit underappreciated here. As if Juyeon is winning some kind of a race while Hyunjae hovers behind.

He wrinkles his nose, then turns his head away. He doesn't want to face the fact that he actually may be feeling a tiny bit jealous, "good for you, I guess."

But then he remembers that after all these years, he's very much an open book for Juyeon to happily read, so he can't hide things from him as easily as he could from, let's say, Sunwoo. So it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that Juyeon can clearly tell what's going through his head.

"You know, he mentioned that you looked really pretty today," he teases, obviously enjoying the situation. Hyunjae almost gets whiplash as he turns to look at the spirit.

"He _what_?"

So maybe he was a bit too fast to ask, given the way that Juyeon stares at him like he'd found the perfect prey. Now, he definitely feels like a mouse caught by an overly smug cat, "someone's eager."

Hyunjae huffs, though he doesn't deny it. Juyeon's eyes glint, "to answer your question, yes, he did say that. Clearly, some people appreciate our tastes in chokers."

With that, he lifts his hand to give a light flick at the moon pendant hanging from Hyunjae's neck.

Honestly, Hyunjae isn't even sure if his face flushes because of the action or because of the implication in Juyeon's words. It gets even worse when he remembers the coffee incident from that morning.

All in all, Hyunjae may be screwed.

ᓚᘏᗢ

It's late. Dark. And it's cold. Cat spirits are fucking lucky that they don't feel it the same way Hyunjae does.

Hiking his shoulders higher, as if that would shield him from the cool wind, he regrets not taking a scarf with himself. It's that time of the year when the day is warm enough to walk around in just a sweater, yet the moment the sun sets, it's suddenly freezing.

Now, Hyunjae likes Autumn as much as any other person, but this? It's unnecessary. Even the weather can't stay consistent.

The fact that his mood had already suffered doesn't help—he got a bit distracted as he was leaving work (classic coworker ambush), so of course those precious seconds that he lost would result in him running late for the bus. And just to his luck, the exact moment he reached the stop, the vehicle in question drove off.

So now he's not only cold, but he's also tired and panting from all the sprinting he had done and the icy air hits his throat and it's all just a big Fuck You cocktail served to him by the universe.

Honestly, he's so frustrated that he thinks he could probably cry. Maybe that would be a good way to let it all out, but then, he'd just finished his shift and he's still very much in public, which means that he could, possibly, be seen by an acquaintance and that would ruin his reputation forever. So he sucks it up like the grown man that he is and acts like his eyes aren't filled with unshed tears because he totally isn't pathetic and dramatic like that (he so is).

Lifting his head to stare at the sky, he ignores the way his lower lip quivers; if he pretends like he's not a breath away from having a crisis, maybe it will go away. So he bounces on his heels, checks the hour after a moment, and tries to recall how much time it should take for another bus to arrive.

He may not remember the exact number but the right answer is actually _too long_. This is the one thing that he hates about taking the bus home; if he doesn't make it in time, depending on the time and day, he could freeze his ass off for ages. But he refuses to walk all the way home, at least not in such weather, so he just has to get through this.

Which, unfortunately, sounds easier said than done.

Rubbing his palms together to regain some warmth, he glances at the road, disappointed to find no bus in sight. He checks the hour again, groaning internally when he sees that it's only been three minutes, and buries his hands in the pockets of his coat. Grumpily. Because he's feeling grumpy, so everything that he does is grumpy by default.

But then, a car pulls up to the bus stop, and Hyunjae doesn't pay it any attention at first, but then he realizes that he's standing here all alone and, coincidentally, he recognizes this car.

Just his luck.

He's going to owe Sangyeon another favor, isn't he?

So, as it turns out, it's a good thing that he didn't end up bawling his eyes out, because man, that would be embarrassing. He isn't even sure how he would have explained himself. Like this, though, he simply gives Sangyeon his best kicked puppy look when he meets his eyes through the window, and in reply, the spirit simply gestures for him to come in.

Now, Hyunjae is only happy to do so because it's cold. Really. No ulterior motives here.

Though he has to admit that Sangyeon's car is just as comforting as he remembers it to be (not that he thinks fondly of Sangyeon, _no_ , don't finish that thought), easily sinking into the seat right before Sangyeon offers him a sympathetic smile.

"Rough day?" he asks, though he doesn't actually pry any further; like he's giving Hyunjae an out if he doesn't want to talk about it. It's just so stupidly considerate that it fills Hyunjae's chest with this weird warmth. It feels suspiciously like fondness, which is an emotion that he refuses to feel in regard to Sangyeon, so the moment that he recognizes it, he bottles it right up and hides it in the darkest confines of his mind.

As blankly as he possibly can, he murmurs back, "yeah, you could say that."

Sangyeon sends him a look; it's undeniably curious, but as Hyunjae expected, he lets the topic drop despite his own interest. Just your regular nice thing to do, he deems, perhaps a bit bitter.

Finally, they leave the bus stop; with his eyes now completely focused on the road, Sangyeon speaks up, "you know, maybe it would be more convenient for you to do this more often."

"This?" Hyunjae echoes, unsure what the other may be getting at. Even with his gaze unwavering, carefully set ahead, one of Sangyeon's ears points towards Hyunjae; curious. Listening. Like a cat that doesn't outright show it, but is still paying attention.

"I mean, like, _this_ , instead of waiting around for the bus," Hyunjae's eyes fly open when he realizes what the spirit is implying, "it's just that, if we finish at the same time, then wouldn't it be easier? Besides, I was right, we _do_ live fairly close, so it's not like that would inconvenience me too much."

And the thing is, it does sound logical—Hyunjae just isn't sure why Sangyeon would make such an offer in the first place. Could it be that he's trying to score some nice points in Juyeon's eyes? As much as Hyunjae would like to believe that, it doesn't seem like a very Sangyeon thing to do. And that leaves him with no other options.

So he decides not to beat around the bush and asks, "yeah, but why?"

Now, _that_ gets Sangyeon to look at him, even if he does so in a clearly befuddled manner. It's a good thing that they're standing at a red light at this very moment, "because I consider you a friend?"

And with that sentence alone, all the fight leaves Hyunjae's body.

A friend. Sangyeon thinks of him as a friend.

Honestly, he's pretty sure that he doesn't deserve this. Not with how adamant he was on disliking Sangyeon since their first meeting, or with how dismissive he had acted towards the spirit, even going as far as assuming the worst about Sangyeon without any proof.

Sangyeon never gave him a reason to hate him. His attempts at befriending Hyunjae had been genuine from the very start.

And for the first time in a while, Hyunjae just can't help but feel guilty.

Now, guilt can push people into making stupid decisions. He definitely feels stupid when he steps out of the car by the time they arrive, standing awkwardly as he thinks of something to say, holding the door open. The cool air that seeps inside doesn't seem to bother Sangyeon too much, though he does look confused by Hyunjae's action. Frankly, Hyunjae relates. He isn't sure what he's doing either.

"Do you, um," what is he saying? Glancing around, he wants to run, but that's not a very sound thing to do in such a situation, so eventually he settled on, "do you want to come in? I mean, you already gave me a ride twice, I think it's only fair that I'd make you some—uh, tea, or something."

He isn't sure what's more hilarious; his own absurd offer or the fact that Sangyeon's eyes immediately light up, and he's quick to say, "yeah, of course."

So that's how he ends up standing on the pavement a couple beats longer as Sangyeon parks his car; it gives him a sense of déjà vu, though this time Sangyeon isn't leaving, but he's actually following Hyunjae inside. Not that he's going to stay inside for a long time or anything, but, well, it still makes Hyunjae feel… some type of way.

He tries to act like he doesn't feel extremely awkward while he takes off his coat, then gestures for Sangyeon's jacket, hanging it just slightly below his own—not to make fun of him, no, he's just being considerate, that's all—and while he shows the spirit where to leave his shoes, the sound of a clearing throat almost startles him.

Right. This wasn't planned. And in the spontaneity of inviting Sangyeon inside, he forgot to mention this to Juyeon.

At least, when Hyunjae turns around to greet him, Juyeon doesn't seem to mind Sangyeon's presence. Quite the opposite, he doesn't even try to hide the way he obviously stares at the other sprite. He waves, voice surprisingly shy as he huffs out a simple, "hi," and Sangyeon immediately shoots him one of those kind smiles.

If Hyunjae was scared about Juyeon overwhelming Sangyeon with his obvious flirting, then maybe he didn't actually have anything to worry about. He feels like he's third wheeling the two of them while Juyeon is literally his damn _husband_ (okay, not quite, not yet in this life, but that's just semantics). Point is, the last thing he expected from this is to see Sangyeon scratching Juyeon under his chin while the other purrs.

But then, maybe that's normal. Maybe that's just how cats bond. Hyunjae wouldn't really know, so he only eyes them oddly before he makes his way towards the kitchen, and Sangyeon eventually follows. Juyeon, probably sensing another chance to flirt, trails after them.

Well, this is going to be tiring.

He wants to say that he regrets inviting Sangyeon inside, but that wouldn't necessarily be the truth; actually, as he flicks the kettle on and turns around to ask Sangyeon what he would prefer, he pauses to simply… watch the other two. He isn't sure why the sight of them chatting so easily would make his chest feel all—warm and mushy inside, as gross as that sounds.

Yes, he's aware of how smitten he is for Juyeon, but this? While Sangyeon is literally right there? This is new. He isn't sure what to think of it.

So he clears his throat, catching Sangyeon's attention—Juyeon only continues to make googly eyes at the other sprite, lord, he could at least try to be subtle—and he gestures vaguely at his options.

It only takes Sangyeon a moment to answer his unspoken question, "Earl Grey."

Hyunjae nods, reaching into the cabinet for the tea bag, then unceremoniously drops it into a cup. Contrasingly, he makes himself hot chocolate instead, keeping himself busy so he doesn't end up awkwardly hovering by the counter while the other two talk. Though he's sure that neither of them would actually, purposefully ignore him, he still prefers avoiding an awkward situation.

That doesn't mean that he doesn't end up overhearing their conversation, though. He doesn't even need to face Juyeon to know that the sprite is wrinkling his nose as he murmurs, "hey, when was the last time you took proper care of your ears? The fur looks all… dull, and—sad? How can your hair be nice while your ears look like this?"

Ah, yes, insulting the guest. How charming.

Hyunjae has a remark ready at the tip of his tongue but before he can fire it off, Sangyeon's already speaking, "oh. I guess it's been a while."

Taking both his and Sangyeon's cups in his hands, Hyunjae finally turns around, but he doesn't immediately walk towards them. Instead, he waits, because he doesn't want to interrupt them while they're talking cat business—after all, it's not like he knows enough on the topic to actually add anything interesting.

So he leans back, ignoring how the counter digs into his lower back, and he waits for a perfect moment to remind them of his own presence.

Meanwhile, Sangyeon continues on his thought, "you know, living among humans through three entire lifetimes… that kind of makes you forget your own nature, doesn't it?" his tail fidgets from left to right, curling around the leg of the chair he's sitting on. Is that a nervous trait? Or is it just a habit? Hyunjae can't help but wonder.

Juyeon purses his lips, "haven't you met any other sprites? Any witches, demons?"

"Yeah, but," Sangyeon pauses, makes some vague gesture, "it's not the same. Knowing a vampire won't make me remember that I have, like, cat ears. My soul isn't human and yet I had to suppress it all during my first life."

One of Juyeon's ears flicker. He's interested, clearly, but Hyunjae can't blame him—he wants to know what Sangyeon means, too. He doesn't even try to hide that he's listening anymore.

"Why?" Juyeon asks, then his ears droop; like he'd just realized that it might be a sensitive topic.

But Sangyeon only waves his hand dismissively, "I was an idol back then. Turns out that when humans wear fake kitty ears or meow then it's cute, but when an actual cat sprite acts, you know, like a cat, then suddenly it's making me appear unprofessional or something along those lines," with that, he shrugs. Where Hyunjae would expect at least some remains of bitterness, his face is completely blank as he speaks, "but it's been a while since then, so. Maybe the industry is different now, I wouldn't know. In my next life I was a producer, and this time, well," he drifts off, pointing towards Hyunjae. They're already well aware where he works now, so it's not like he has to say anything about that.

Hyunjae takes it as his chance to join the conversation, though. He pads closer, offering Sangyeon his tea as he grumbles, "yeah, you're stuck with me now. Must be fun."

He wouldn't go as far as to say that his words startle Sangyeon, but he does raise his head, staring at Hyunjae with wide eyes. It's always entertaining to spook cats, Hyunjae muses, their reactions are always priceless.

"For the record, I do enjoy your presence," Sangyeon says, easily accepting the drink. Hyunjae doubts that. He imagines that working with someone like him must be pretty underwhelming, compared to being a well known singer.

Before he could fall into the pit of self-doubt, he's interrupted by Juyeon's tail rubbing against his thigh. Of course he'd noticed the drop in his mood. He always does.

He doesn't point it out though, not while Sangyeon is still sitting right there. Instead, Juyeon only sends him a look, one that's clearly meant to be comforting, and Hyunjae only sends him a small smile back. Well, if it can be called a smile. The slight upturn of his lips could barely classify as one, but it seems to be enough for Juyeon to turn his attention back to Sangyeon.

The sprite licks his thumb, then extends his arm toward Sangyeon, who glances at him curiously but doesn't say anything. Sensing no objections, Juyeon reaches for one of Sangyeon's ears, smoothing down some of the fur before he retracts his hand, "here, since you can't do this yourself," he murmurs with a teasing lilt to his voice, but then he adds in, a bit more seriously, "you had some dirt stuck there. You really should take better care of your ears, I wasn't joking."

Sangyeon's cheeks are tinted the slightest shade of pink as he nods, an embarrassed smile pulling at his lips. Hyunjae can't force himself to look away from it.

Later, it turns out that their chat with Sangyeon ends up two whole hours longer than it takes for him to finish his tea. But neither of them really mind.

It takes Hyunjae a lot of willpower to admit to himself that Sangyeon is, truly… an interesting person.

ᓚᘏᗢ

Hyunjae hasn't been to a park in too long of a while. That changes today, though.

He sits on a bench as he waits; it wasn't very hard finding an empty one, not when the chilly air resulted in most people staying inside. That's why he's alone, seated on the cold wood, close enough to the entrance to the park so that the person that he agreed to meet up with at this hour would easily spot him.

Rubbing his hands together, he finds that he doesn't mind the icy temperature too much when it's Juyeon that's supposed to show up any minute now.

It's a week day, and Hyunjae is tired from work, but the two of them haven't gone out on a date in weeks, if not months, which is, frankly, a tragedy—so he blinks back the exhaustion and smiles when he finally hears the click of heeled boots against the pavement.

When Hyunjae raises his head, his breath gets promptly punched out of his chest. It may be a bit cliché, but he still can't help but feel flustered when he sees the bouquet that Juyeon is holding in front of his chest, one that's large enough to cover his shoulders and neck. Hyunjae doesn't even want to wonder how expensive that could be.

He stands up, breathing out a, "hey," that probably gets lost with the wind—but that doesn't matter. He makes sure to meet Juyeon halfway, would most likely throw himself right into Juyeon's arms if only the other wasn't holding the flowers.

Instead, he takes the offered bouquet and brings it close to himself. The _thank you_ that slips past his lips isn't enough to express how he feels, but it will have to do.

He's well used to Juyeon's presence, but somehow, his breath still hitches when the sprite lifts his hand to rub at Hyunjae's cheekbone.

"Tired?" he asks. His eyes are so, so tender; Hyunjae can't bring himself to lie. Not to Juyeon.

Slowly, he nods, but then he adds in, "it's alright though, you're with me."

Which sounds a bit more smitten than he intended it to be, but once the words are out of his mouth, he doesn't backtrack. He moves the flowers to the side, to comfortably hold them with just one arm, and splays his other one over Juyeon's hand.

Then, he sneaks in a kiss to the center of Juyeon's palm and he feels a tinge of satisfaction when the sprite hangs his head, trying to hide the smile that takes over his lips.

No matter how much time has passed, he still loves Juyeon just as much.

He remembers the flat they first shared, the arguments that eventually turned into longing glances and subtle gestures of dedication. He remembers engagement rings and late nights shared swaying to the music inside their kitchen when neither of them could fall asleep. He remembers Juyeon's cheesy movie quotes and the excited glint in his eyes while ranting about a book that he loved.

He remembers it all, and it only serves as a reminder that despite the world changing around them during all the years that have passed, his feelings for Juyeon remained the same.

A simple _I love you_ wouldn't even cut it; so he doesn't say it, not this time. It's not like he doesn't repeat these words almost every day.

So instead, he just rubs his thumb against Juyeon's knuckles and takes in the sight before him; of Juyeon out in the cold air, his cheeks pink for more reasons than one. Hyunjae vaguely recognizes the coat that the sprite is wearing as his own, though he isn't sure whether that was on purpose or if it was the first thing at hand.

One thing Hyunjae doesn't recognize though; the choker wrapped around Juyeon's neck. It isn't one of the many gifts that Hyunjae had given him before, no. It's new, that he's positive of, as he hasn't seen the other wear it before.

"What's this?" he finds himself asking. Juyeon's eyes flicker with confusion, before he seems to realize what Hyunjae's referring to.

It suddenly strikes him, why the choker looks vaguely familiar in a way that he couldn't quite place; it's almost a mirror image of the one Juyeon bought him a week ago. Hyunjae isn't wearing it today, as he's still not very big on jewelry, but it's undeniable—it must have came in a set, as the only difference between the two are the pendants.

Hyunjae's pendant is a moon; it's self explanatory. Juyeon's choker, though, has a delicate, almost cartoonish star hanging from it. He isn't even sure why, but somehow, it fits.

"This?" Juyeon says, long fingers brushing the pendant in question. There's this gleam in his eye as he explains, "why, a matching necklace. I thought it would be cute."

Cute. Yeah, that it is. The idea of it is endearing, and the choker itself looks especially pretty around Juyeon's neck—though it's nothing compared to Juyeon himself.

It's a nice addition, though. Hyunjae could definitely get used to such a sight. He'll make sure to appreciate his own choker a bit more, if it seems this important to Juyeon.

"Yeah, but you're cuter," comes the childish response. The sprite smacks him in the arm, but he does so with that flustered smile, so all in all, he doesn't regret saying it.

ᓚᘏᗢ

The next day, as Hyunjae comes home, he's greeted with a sight that's ridiculous enough that he has to pause, rub at his eyes and look again. Like that would make it go away.

Alas, Sunwoo's perched on the armrest of their living room couch, a laser in his hand that he points at different parts of the room, somehow appearing both bored and entertained at the same time. He wasn't even aware that was possible, but Sunwoo actually pulls it off.

Now, that's already unusual enough, but what he doesn't expect to see is Juyeon chasing after the small red dot like his life depends on it. He lunges at the floor, smacking his hand at the target, incredibly confused when the dot shows up on his palm now, and Sunwoo takes the chance to point it at Juyeon's nose instead, unabashedly laughing at the spirit's befuddled expression.

Sunwoo takes pity on him afterwards, directing the dot at the nearest wall. Hyunjae looks away the moment that Juyeon throws himself at it.

For a moment, he wonders how Sunwoo even got into their house. But then he notices Eric sprawled over the remaining space on the couch, for once not bursting with energy. The pup is dozing off, and on one hand, Hyunjae wants to throw a blanket over his frame, but on the other hand, he wants to slap his shoulder for bringing the Devil Incarnate inside Hyunjae's house.

Once a vampire gets the permission to enter a building, they can come and go as they please. If Sunwoo is here, then that means that Eric had to coerce Juyeon into inviting Sunwoo inside. As if the both of them weren't well aware that Hyunjae doesn't want his self-proclaimed mortal enemy anywhere near his home.

Maybe Eric is actually more devious than he gave him credit for.

Clearing his throat, Hyunjae can't help but feel out of place in his own damn house so he says, "am I interrupting something?"

The red dot stops in place, to Juyeon's delight. Sunwoo lifts his head to look at Hyunjae, like he hadn't even noticed his presence until now—though he knows that's impossible. The boy in question is a vampire, there's no way he wouldn't sense him coming in.

Instead of replying though, Sunwoo directs the lazer right at Hyunjae's chest.

Damn. Hyunjae always knew that he was a devil.

Raising his hands, he gives Juyeon a pleading look, but it earns him nothing as he can only watch the sprite's pupils dilate before Juyeon pounces.

And knocks them both to the ground.

Truly, an idiot of a cat.

All the air exits his lungs in one short wheeze, and he wraps his arms around Juyeon's chest to keep him in place—as if that was even needed.

Once Sunwoo turns off the laser beam, the sprite's body goes slack. Either he's that tired from running around or Sunwoo somehow sucked all the energy out of him through his presence alone.

"Babe," Hyunjae mutters, squirming under the stupid overgrown cat, "you're crushing me."

All that he gets in reply is a vague groan. So Juyeon really is exhausted. That's what he gets for bouncing around the room like that, Hyunjae deems.

After more failed attempts at crawling out from under Juyeon's body, eventually, Hyunjae curses quietly and gives up.

"Why are you like this?" he deadpans. Juyeon hums, but doesn't otherwise react. Actually, Hyunjae has a suspicion that the other is about to fall asleep. On top of him. On the cold floor of their living room while they have guests around. This is ridiculous.

At least said guests can't mind too much, not when one of them is in a similar state as Juyeon himself. Honestly, Hyunjae wouldn't be surprised if Eric chased after the very same laser before Hyunjae even arrived. He may not be feline like Juyeon is, but he's just wild like that, so Hyunjae wouldn't really put it past him.

"So how's that problem of yours?" Sunwoo chimes up. When Hyunjae lifts his head, he notices the boy petting Eric's head as the werewolf sleeps. It's disgustingly domestic.

"Why do you care?" Hyunjae bites back, and the other immediately scowls.

"I need to know my enemy's weaknesses," he hisses out, his fingers minutely freezing before he continues to weave them through Eric's blonde locks, "besides, I know you wouldn't believe me, but I do _care_ about Eric's friends. That includes you."

For a moment, Hyunjae isn't sure what to say.

Now, usually, he would just squint and murmur _suspicious_ under his breath, but something about the look that Sunwoo sends him actually makes him appear… genuine, for once. Hyunjae can't quite believe this.

Eventually, he huffs out, "well. Things are… going," and that's all that he can say about this topic, really, because that's exactly it; something is happening. Though he isn't sure exactly what. Juyeon keeps obviously flirting with Sangyeon and Hyunjae might admit one day that he actually likes the guy. But for now, the situation remains very much unspecified.

Fortunately, even though Sunwoo frowns, he lets the topic drop.

Hyunjae doesn't have the energy to let his mind wander today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who doesn't like matching chokers lmao


End file.
